The present invention relates generally to a vehicle transport ramp system for use on most transport vehicles for loading and unloading transported vehicles.
The transport by a larger ground-based transport vehicle of another transported vehicle has traditionally been necessitated by a vehicle's mechanical failure or disablement following an accident. The transport vehicle may also be used to move a specialty vehicle for display at a car show, a motor sport vehicle, or a companion vehicle for use at a vacation destination, such as a remote camp site or cross-country tour. The transported vehicle is commonly pulled by the transport vehicle by the use of a towing harness, as is commonly equipped on a tow truck offering emergency road-side assistance. Alternatively, a vehicle may be loaded and unloaded on to a transport vehicle bed on the transport vehicle. Such transporting vehicles are intended for use on paved highway and street surfaces.
Under some circumstances, the transported vehicle may be used in an “off-road” environment, for example a dune buggy intended to be driven on sand dunes. The transport vehicle itself may also elect to be driven “off-road” en route to its final destination. Such transport vehicles may have 4×4 wheel suspensions and drive systems that allow them to operate on uneven and unpaved driving surfaces.
There are a number of vehicle ramp systems for transport vehicles intended to be used on paved highway or road surfaces. These systems do not appear to be intended for use on transport vehicles having an elevated 4×4 wheel suspension and drive system with an increased ground clearance between the wheel base and the driving surface. The use of these prior art ramp systems with transport vehicles having an increased ground clearance may result in the “hang up” of the transported vehicle during the loading and unloading process. This occurs when the pitch or slope of the ramp system is increased to account for the greater distance between the wheel base and the driving surface, rather than by lengthening the ramp itself. As a result, the undercarriage of the transported vehicle may “hang up” or abut the towards the top of the ramp. In some instances, the transported vehicle may even scrape the ramp and get stuck on the ramp, thereby resulting in potential property damage to the transported vehicle and delay of the loading and unloading process. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,754 is understood to disclose“Z-holdable ramp sections” pivotally connectable to a railroad car. A hydraulic actuator Z ramp system appears to utilize hydraulic actuators found within the ramp sections themselves. It is understood that deployment of this ramp section may be completed in less than twenty minutes. This ramp system does not appear to utilize a separately identifiable upper ramp and lower ramp. Nor does the system appear to have either a first lower ramp enclosure panel, a second lower ramp enclosure panel, a first side wall enclosure panel, or a second side wall enclosure panel to enclose the ramp system. It is further understood that this ramp system is not intended for use on transport vehicles having an increased ground clearance equipped for “off-road” driving. It is understood that U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,632 discloses a stowable ramp assembly for pick-up trucks. An extension sleeve and an elongated ramp are telescopically slideable into the ramp. It is understood that the stowable ramp does not form a transport vehicle door on the pick-up truck. Furthermore, this system does not appear to include the use of an upper ramp, a lower ramp, a first lower ramp enclosure panel, a second lower ramp enclosure panel, a first side wall enclosure panel, or a second side wall enclosure panel to enclose the transport vehicle when the lower ramp is lowered toward the driving surface. It is further understood that this ramp system is not intended for use on transport vehicles having an increased ground clearance equipped for “off-road” driving. It is understood that U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,593 discloses a ramp assembly that is pivotally secured to one or more hinge bars along the preexisting rear door of vans, flatbeds, and pick-up trucks. This system does not appear to disclose the use of an upper ramp operative to form a transport vehicle door, as the ramp assembly appears to be connected to the preexisting door. This ramp assembly does not appear to be used with transport vehicles with a higher ground clearance intended for an “off-road” driving mode. Nor does this assembly appear to have a first lower ramp enclosure panel, a second lower ramp enclosure panel, a first side wall enclosure panel, or a second side wall enclosure panel to enclose the transport vehicle. It is understood that U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,232 discloses a loading and unloading device for use on a pickup truck having a ramp that is slideably and pivotally attached to two stationary rails mounted on the bed of the truck and a vehicle carriage mounted to the ramp. A small vehicle can be placed on the carriage for loading and unloading into the pickup truck. This system does not appear to include an upper ramp, a lower ramp, a first lower ramp enclosure panel, a second lower ramp enclosure panel, a first side wall enclosure panel, or a second side wall enclosure panel. Nor does this system appear to provide a combined ramp length required to load a vehicle into a transport vehicle having a higher ground clearance. It is understood that U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,268 discloses a motorized recreational vehicle including a storage or garage area having a ramp for loading and unloading vehicles from street level. This system also discloses the use of a rear gate that folds down to become a ramp. This system does not appear to utilize both an upper ramp and a lower ramp. Nor does it appear to have a first lower ramp enclosure panel, a second lower ramp enclosure panel, a first side wall enclosure panel, or a second side wall enclosure panel. Furthermore, this ramp system does not appear to be intended for transport vehicles having a higher ground clearance in an elevated “off-road” driving mode. It is understood that U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,820 discloses a truck transport vehicle having front and rear sections with a retractable slope, and an elevation deck for the transport of vehicles having an increased load. This system does not appear to have a combined upper ramp and lower ramp for use on transport vehicles with increased ground clearance. Nor does it have a first lower ramp enclosure panel, a second lower ramp enclosure panel, a first side wall enclosure panel, or a second side wall enclosure panel. This transport vehicle system appears to be limited to being pulled by a truck, and no other transport vehicles.
Accordingly, there appears to be a need in the art for a new vehicle ramp system for use by transport vehicles equipped to be driven on all driving surfaces.